Republican Senator threatens to suspend federal funds to city in his own state

Senator Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican, said in a statement recently that he will urge federal agencies to review, and potentially suspend, funding to Cincinnati, Ohio’s third-largest city with a population of about 310,000, unless city leaders present a plan to address public safety and protect residents’ civil rights. Knewz.com has learned that the comments follow a violent altercation in the city’s downtown that went viral on social media, sparking public concern.

The fight in Cincinnati

The incident took place around 3 a.m. local time in downtown Cincinnati. Videos circulating online showed multiple individuals punching, kicking, and shoving each other, with several knocked to the ground. The footage prompted condemnation from elected officials and high-profile figures including Vice President J.D. Vance and tech mogul Elon Musk. Cincinnati police arrested two people, Montianez Merriweather, 34, and Dekyra Vernon, 24, shortly after the fight. A third suspect, Jermaine Matthews, 39, was later taken into custody. Authorities say they are continuing to review video evidence to determine whether more arrests will be made.

Republican Senator’s one-month ultimatum

In a recent televised statement, Moreno criticized what he described as inadequate leadership in handling the situation. “I’m gonna call on all federal agencies to review the funding that we provide Cincinnati, and I’m giving the leaders of Cincinnati one month to come up with a plan to protect the civil rights of their citizens,” he said. Senator Moreno added that “if they don’t, I’m gonna ask these agencies to suspend all federal funding.” He also said the city is “down 200 police officers” and called out Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval for taking a vacation. Moreno, who joined the Senate after defeating Democrat Sherrod Brown in November, serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He called the city’s management of the incident “a total travesty” and declared that he was “not going to put up with it.”

A ‘total review of federal funding’

In a post on X, Senator Moreno reiterated his stance, writing, “Politicians who allow anarchy on their streets don’t deserve to lead. If Cincinnati’s leaders refuse to restore order, I will be calling for a TOTAL REVIEW of federal funding to the city.” Reagan McCarthy, Moreno’s communications director, said in a statement, “Senator Moreno was clear: Cincinnati needs real leaders who are capable of protecting their citizens and enforcing the law. But Mayor [Aftab] Pureval couldn’t be bothered to cancel his vacation and return home to help lead the city through this crisis — and everyday Ohioans are paying the price.”

Cincinnati Mayor, VP Vance issue statements on the incident

At a recent press conference, Vice President Vance said, “What I saw, and I haven’t seen the full context, but what I saw is a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person, and it’s disgusting and I hope every single one of those people who engage in violence is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And they will be. They will be so long as law enforcement in the state of Ohio takes their job seriously.” Mayor Pureval has issued a press release about the incident, saying, “I am outraged by the vicious fight that occurred downtown. It is horrifying to watch, and this unacceptable and disgusting behavior is intolerable in any part of our community. That’s not who we are as a city.”

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